


By the Falls

by bewaretheboojum



Series: Curryverse [8]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Superboy (Comics), Young Justice (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragons, Fluff, M/M, Sweaters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:56:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27560374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bewaretheboojum/pseuds/bewaretheboojum
Summary: Kon's still feeling a little sluggish after their last mission but he and Tim need to talk about that kiss...
Relationships: Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent
Series: Curryverse [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1530779
Comments: 23
Kudos: 80





	By the Falls

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much to Vellaphoria for the beta help. <33

Kon buried his nose deeper into his scarf as he pulled his greatcoat tighter around him to ward off the chill of the winter air. He picked up his pace, hurrying down the street towards the cafe where he had been due to meet Bart about ten minutes ago. He dodged people, dogs, and vendors’ carts, accidentally bumping into a merchant with a large basket on his head. Kon tossed a quick apology over his shoulder as he pushed open the door to the cafe. 

A rush of warm air and the scent of coffee and fresh-baked bread engulfed him as he stepped inside and shut the door firmly behind him. Soaking in the heat of the cafe for just a short moment, Kon glanced around the small shop, looking for Bart.

Bart was tucked into a small table in the far corner of the shop, near the hearth. He had a cup of coffee and a partially eaten pastry on the table next to him. Absently taking a sip from his thick, earthenware mug, his eyes did not stray from the book propped open on the table in front of him.

Kon called out a quick hello and Bart held up one finger as he finished the paragraph he was reading, while Kon pulled off his coat and took a seat next to him. When he finally shut his book and looked up at Kon with a grin, Kon couldn't help but smile back.

"How are you feeling?" Bart asked, clapping him gently on one shoulder.

"Still tired, but better than when we first got home," Kon said with a sigh.

Bart was about to follow up with another question when the waiter came over to ask Kon what he wanted. Kon ordered a hot cup of coffee and an apple tart before turning back to Bart.

"How's the coffee?" Kon asked.

Bart gave him a knowing grin and shook his head.

"It's good, but I know you'll feel the need to tell me it's not as good as the blend they make at The Bluebird."

"You can't hide from the truth," Kon said with a mock imperious tone to his voice "And the truth is, for all her faults, Harper has excellent taste in coffee."

"Be that as it may, whenever we go over to The Bluebird, it's actual chaos," Bart pointed out with a grin. "Someone is always trying to get your attention, there's usually yelling, and more often than not, a dragon knocks over my teacup."

"The Dragon teacup thing is a known issue. He tries to fish in them with his tail but the tea is too hot and he burns the tip. You'd have thought he would have figured out he should stop by now, but..." Kon trailed off and gestured absently as the waiter came over, dropping off his coffee and tart with a smile.

"Well I'm glad we decided on the cafe this morning," Bart said with a laugh. "I wanted to talk to you without having to shout over music, or dodge errant teacups."

Kon started to laugh, but it turned into a yawn midway through. Bart gave him a knowing look as Kon hastily took a sip of his coffee.

"I just need a little more caffeine first," Kon said defensively, warming his hand on the earthenware.

"Is that all?" Bart asked, blithely. "You still seem pretty tired."

If he was being honest with himself, Kon still hadn't quite recovered from his last mission with Tim. The use of his energy, the mad dash back to Wayne's territory, sleeping outside without enough food, the whole ordeal had left him exhausted and weak.

Fortunately, Tim had been able to handle things with Wayne and trainees on his own, so Kon had ample time to spend at home, resting and recovering. While he was feeling significantly better than he had, a weariness still clung to the corners of his mind. No amount of sleep or caffeine could chase it away.

Kon was hoping that, in another day or so, he would be back to himself again.

"I'll be fine," Kon said to Bart. "I just overdid it, that's all."

Bart gave him a grim sort of look and Kon shook his head.

"Tim knew, he saw it happening. He got me food, gave me time to rest, helped me..."

Kon swallowed hard and his voice cracked as he remembered all that Tim had done to help him. The cold hands on his skin, the desperate press of his kiss, the sensation of Tim's emotions washing over him like a warm flood of water, thawing and nourishing him when he needed it most.

Clearing his throat, Kon took another sip of his coffee before he continued.

"He just... he had his eye on me. And I'm not due back at work until Monday, so I have two more days to rest up," Kon finished lamely as Bart gave him a deeply skeptical look.

"He helped you..." Bart repeated thoughtfully.

Kon couldn't help it, he felt his cheeks flush and he tried to cover it by taking a big bite of his apple tart. Bart caught the blush and he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"He helped you how?"

"I told you, he--"

"Yeah, that blush has nothing to do with him handing you an extra apple," Bart said acerbically. "What happened? Spill."

Kon puffed out a breath and tilted his head to look out a large window pane at the front of the cafe. He was trying hard not to meet Bart's eye when Bart audibly and persistently moved his chair until Kon was looking at him full in the face.

Bart was glaring at him imperiously and Kon couldn't help but laugh.

"Ok, ok, ok," Kon said, lifting his hands in surrender. "I give up. I'll tell you."

"He kissed you," Bart said knowingly, pulling his chair back to its previous position before taking another sip of coffee. "He kissed you and it made you feel better while you two were on the run because you could touch him and feel him."

"Someone... Someone kissed someone..." Kon conceded. "I'll admit to being a little hazy on the details, but yeah. That's what happened."

Bart nodded his head thoughtfully as he fingered the pages of his book.

"I was wondering when this would happen."

"Ta-da!" Kon said and made a vague hand gesture.

Bart smiled at him and took another sip from his mug.

"Have you two talked? Since you kissed, I mean?" Bart asked.

"Not really. I think he was mostly worried about getting me home safe. Then he had to deal with reporting back to Wayne. He dropped some food off for me and checked in the other day, but we haven't really had a chance to talk. I was thinking about heading over to the Inn today to see if he wanted to... I don't know..." Kon trailed off with a sigh.

"To see if he wanted to go on a date with you without his siblings screaming across the table?" Bart asked with a grin.

"Something like that," Kon said wryly. "But I couldn't think of anywhere we could go. Everywhere we could talk feels so... public. And if I invited him back to my place..."

Kon trailed off and Bart picked up the train of thought for him. "And if you invite him back to your place, he might think it wasn't talking you wanted to do."

"Yeah, pretty much exactly that."

"If it was summer, I'd say take him out to the falls. It's a nice walk. Very quiet. Mostly private. Good place for a swim. But they'll be nearly frozen over now," Bart mused, finishing the last of his coffee. "I bet they're pretty though, when they're frozen."

Kon sat up straighter in his seat and grinned at Bart.

"That's perfect! He can draw the falls and no one will be around!"

"I mean, I guess. But it'll be freezing and--"

Kon cut Bart off with a wave of his hand as he dropped a few coins on the table, got to his feet, and pulled on his coat.

"No, no. It'll be perfect! I'll grab some blankets and something warm to eat."

"You're just... leaving me, aren't you?" Bart asked, eyeing Kon with exasperation as he wrapped his scarf around his neck.

"Yes, but I'll talk to you tomorrow. Let you know how it goes."

"Good luck," Bart said with a sigh as Kon gave him an airy wave goodbye and rushed out of the cafe and back out to the bustling street.

^*^*^*^*^*

The Bluebird wasn't as crowded as usual this morning, likely due to the cold weather that had swept through the city just a few days before. Most of the tables were empty, but the fire was stoked high in the hearth, and the scent of bubbling soup wafted in from the kitchens.

Tim was sitting at the usual table, near enough to the kitchen ovens to be nice and warm. Duck gave a drowsy sigh from where he was sleeping on Tim's shoulder, tucked up tight in the scarf around Tim's neck. The cold had been making the dragon lethargic lately and he was spending more and more tucked up in Tim's scarf for warmth.

Steph and Cass sat on either side of Tim at the table, both of them looked smug in a way that made Tim feel a little nervous. When Cass and Steph were happy, it usually meant it was because they were about to torment him, or some other poor unsuspecting soul, somehow.

Harper bustled out from the kitchens, a few mugs of tea, and a plate of cookies on a tray. She handed each of them a mug and set the cookies in the center of the table before sitting down next to Steph and giving Cass a knowing grin.

They were up to something for sure.

"How's Duck?" Harper asked with almost faux concern in her voice.

"Just a little cold, I think," Tim said, tugging his scarf down just a little bit to show Harper Duck's sleeping dragon face. Duck made an annoyed trill and nudged his nose a little deeper into Tim's scarf.

"Poor little guy," Steph cooed as she stuck her fingers into the knit of Tim's scarf to rub gently along Duck's side.

"Yeah, he's absolutely not meant for this sort of weather," Tim said. "I've been a little worried about him. I was considering keeping him inside, but he loves being around people. He gets so lonely when I leave him by himself."

Steph and Harper turned to Cass with identical grins on their face. Cass's face flushed slightly and she looked down at the table.

"What are you three--"

Tim broke off when Cass pulled a small packet from her pocket wrapped in white paper and twine. She handed it to Tim and took it from her, tentatively.

"What's this?" Tim asked and Cass nodded at him anxiously to open it.

As Tim began to pull at the packaging, the crinkle of the paper caught Duck's attention and he peered out over the scarf to watch what Tim was doing. He was clearly hoping the paper had a treat in it for him. He let out a soft trill when Tim pulled the paper away to reveal a soft, knitted, red, wool... something?

Tim fingered it for a few long moments, trying to figure out what it was. It was a narrow strip of knitted fabric with a few holes in it. It was made of very soft, warm wool. The red sweater was woven through with bursts of yellow and there was a line of buttons down it. It was thick at the top and then tapered down to a very thin, long end with a little pom-pom at the base. Duck nudged the pom-pom excitedly with this nose.

It wasn't the right shape for a scarf. It wasn't the right shape for anything really but it was clear from the expression on her face that Cass was excited to give it to him.

"It's beautiful, Cass. You did a great job on--"

"It's a sweater for Duck!" Steph burst out, interrupting Tim.

That's when the realization hit him. The holes were for Duck's legs and wings, the long narrow piece wrapped around his tail, and the buttons came together under his tummy.

"Oh!" Tim cried with excitement. "It is a dragon sweater!"

Quickly undoing the buttons, Tim coaxed Duck on to the table. Duck complied with a curious trill and was mostly cooperative as Tim guided his legs and tail through the appropriate holes. While the sweater was very long, Duck's long tail still trailed out past the pompom. Tim did up the buttons along his belly and Duck let out an excited trill. Kicking up into the air, he swooped around them all in excited circles, showing off his new sweater.

"Oh Cass, it's perfect!" Tim said, giving her a hug and smiling up at his now ecstatic dragon. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to get it off of him now."

They were all laughing and joking as Duck flew around the table, tripped over teacups, and scattered cookies in his excitement. Tim was collecting lost cookies from the floor when he heard Harper and Steph call out a hello.

When Tim peeked his head out from under the table, he found Kon smiling bemusedly at Duck, who was trilling and begging to have his chin scratched.

"Duck got a sweater," Kon said, amusement clear in his voice.

"Yeah, we thought Tim might want custody of his scarves back, so Cass knitted him one," Steph said, slipping off the bench to let Kon sit next to Tim.

"It looks good on him," Kon said. "A green dragon with a red and yellow sweater. My favorite color combination."

Steph and Harper gave him horrified looks but Cass just smiled. The three of them traipsed back off to the kitchen then to refill mugs and get some fresh cookies.

"How are you feeling?" Tim asked. He watched as Kon tickled at the pom-pom on Duck's tail, making the little dragon try and pounce on his hand.

"I'm good," Kon said, his voice was full of laughter and his eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled at Duck.

He still looked tired, his face was paler than usual and some light smudges were under his eyes. His hair was tucked into a wool cap and he was wearing one of the thick, heavy sweaters his Aunt knitted for him.

Kon looked much better than he had when Tim had half carried him home from their last mission. That night he had looked moments from fainting. His face had been sunken and thick dark bruises hung heavy under his eyes, and had fallen asleep before Tim had even left him.

When he came to check on Kon a day or so later, he had looked a bit better. Now, Kon looked almost back to normal, but Tim could still see a lingering fatigue in his face.

"He's happy to see you," Tim said, casually gesturing at Duck who was curling himself around one of Kon's thick forearms.

"Just him?" Kon asked, his voice pitched low and a little husky as he turned to lock eyes with Tim.

"Not just him," Tim conceded. "Me too,"

Kon smiled at him and Tim could feel something warm flutter through his stomach. His mind shot back to that moment in the clearing: the stars, the bite of the wind, and Kon's warm mouth pressed to his...

Tim swallowed hard and fought down a flush. He was about to try and say something else when his sisters swept back in.

"Did you want some coffee, Kon? Maybe some lunch?" Steph asked, putting out another plate of cookies.

Duck inspected the plate, clearly hoping that there would be a sweet potato or two tucked in among the oatmeal cookies.

"Actually," Kon said, turning to Tim. "I came to see if Tim was up for a walk. I thought maybe we could pack some food and head over to the waterfall. Bart said it had frozen over and I thought you might want to bring your sketchbook."

"Are you feeling up to that walk?" Tim asked, worriedly. "It's a few miles from here and it's pretty cold."

"Oh I'm fine," Kon assured him. "I need to stretch my legs anyway. And I brought a blanket to bundle up in while you sketch."

Cass, Steph, and Harper each gave the other knowing looks that made Tim blush.

"I'll pack some cocoa and some soup for you two," Harper said. Duck trilled indignantly at that and Harper laughed. "And some warm sweet potatoes for you," she said, rubbing the bridge of Duck's snout affectionately.

"We'll help," Steph said with a grin, grabbing Cass by sleeve and dragging her back to the kitchen.

"They know we kissed, don't they?” Kon asked, consideringly.

"They do know."

"What did you tell them?"

"I didn't tell them anything."

"They just knew?"

"They just knew."

"Your sisters are terrifying."

"You have no idea..."

Kon turned back to Tim with a wry smile and took Tim's hand in his.

"I would still like to keep kissing you though," Kon said. "Even if they'll always find out."

"That's a relief. Just remember you said that next time Jason comes home..."

"So long as he doesn't bring you another pet, I think I'll be ok," Kon said with a laugh.

Harper packed them off with soup, cocoa, cookies, and another extra blanket. They bundled up in coats, scarves, hats and mittens, then Kon tossed the overstuffed bag easily over his shoulder. Duck tucked himself into Kon's scarf, wrapping his long, pom-pomed tail around the shell of Tim's ear, as they pushed out into the chilly afternoon.

^*^*^*^*^*^*

The sun was bright, but the air was very cold as Kon and Tim made their way through the bustling streets in town. People and buildings began to thin, and soon enough the road turned to dirt and trailed into the forest.

The trees were bare of leaves as they loomed over them. It was too early in the winter for any snowfall to have accumulated on the ground. Damp leaves muffled their footsteps as they walked, and the sounds of winter birds and squirrels late to begin their hibernation echoed through the forest. 

Duck breathed deeply in his sleep as he curled up around Kon’s neck. He let out a soft coo as he dreamed his dragon dreams. It made Kon smile to himself. 

As they walked, Tim’s eyes focused on the forest around them, taking in the trees and the sky and the leaves. He was always so intent and alert as he watched the world around him. As if he was noting every small detail so he could sketch it later. He never missed a thing.

They walked shoulder to shoulder, but between the thick layers of clothes they wore and the chill in the air, Kon couldn’t quite ‘feel’ Tim. Hesitantly, he stepped in a bit closer, letting their shoulders bush together as they walked. He tentatively brushed his pinky along the edge of Tim’s hand. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a small smile come across Tim’s face. When Tim turned to look up at him, his eyes were soft and gentle. Almost shyly, he reached out and clasped Kon’s hand.

“How are you feeling?” Tim asked in a quiet voice trying not to wake Duck.

“Better by the second,” Kon said, smiling at Tim and squeezing his hand gently. “It was nice to get a bit of a break.”

Tim took a deep breath and nodded, tilting his head to one side thoughtfully. “Honestly, I think we could both use a break,” Tim said. “Longer than just a few days, even.”

“I think you might be right. I keep daydreaming about you and me getting snowed in somewhere. No Wayne, no troop, no responsibilities. Just you and me and Duck and a nice warm…” Kon broke off then, realizing he was getting a little ahead of himself.

Rather than pulling back or giving Kon a scathing look, Tim just smiled slyly and huffed out a laugh. Maybe he should have asked Tim back to his place after all. It was closer, warmer, private.

“It does sound lovely,” Tim agreed. “And I think you’re right that it would take an act of God to get Wayne to leave us alone for a few days.”

Kon groaned in mock distress. “Have we considered burnt offerings to the Snow Gods or something? Get nature on our side?”

“At this point,” Tim said with a tired sigh, “I’m willing to try anything. Though, I’m not sure how much Snow Gods would appreciate burnt offerings. Maybe frozen ones?” 

It took them another twenty minutes or so of steady walking to come upon the waterfall. Kon’s legs were feeling heavy and his muscles ached a little by the time they arrived. 

The usual roar of the falls was silenced, the cold freezing over most of the water. Long columns of falling water were frozen into place, twenty feet high and dazzling. Hoarfrost covered the nearby trees and brush, gilding it in a white, frozen splendor. 

“You were right,” Tim said, after a long moment of silence. “It is beautiful.”

“It was actually Bart’s idea. In a way…” Kon confessed.

“Bart?” 

“We talked today and he said I should take you to see the falls.”

“Did he?” Tim asked, his voice pointedly neutral in a way Kon recognized from work.

Breaking away from Kon, Tim looked around for a large, flat rock, mostly free from the hoarfrost.

“He did,” Kon agreed, making his way over to Tim. He tripped on a branch and Duck startled awake. He squeaked at Kon in dismay and untangled himself from Kon’s scarf. Kicking off into the air, Duck flew over to take refuge with Tim. When Kon approached them he hissed at him in annoyance. Kon grinned at the small dragon and stuck his tongue out at him.

“Bart said it would have been better if it was summer but…”

“We used to come in the summer as kids. Harper, Steph, Cass, Jason and I would play hooky and sneak off to go swimming. I think Bruce realized that we didn’t all catch a convenient summer cold at the same time but he never pressed too hard when we faked coughs and sneezes.”

“You played hooky? I almost can’t believe it.”

“My siblings are a bad influence on me,” Tim said with a small smile. “For some reason, whenever Jason suggests something, it always sounds like a good idea.”

“You mean like suggesting you adopt a mysterious tiny dragon?” Kon asked with a smile, nodding his head toward Duck.

“Something like that,” Tim agreed, scouting around for a place to set out the blankets. “I’ve never seen this place so empty. I’ve never even thought about coming here in the winter. I like it in the winter. It’s quieter here.”

Tim found a large jutting rock he apparently liked, it was cushioned with a thick, frosty, green moss. Tim set down the blankets and grabbed the bag with the food. 

“That is certainly true,” Kon said. Letting out a tired sigh, he settled down on the blanket next to Tim, grateful for the extra softness the moss provided. A gust of cold air stung his tired eyes and Kon rubbed at them with his thumb and forefinger. A wave of exhaustion flowed through him and he was suddenly very happy to be sitting down. He hadn’t realized how much the walk had taken out of him until now.

Kon blinked his eyes open as Tim bumped his shoulder against Kon’s. Tim and Duck were both looking at him with concern in their eyes. Duck let out a little interrogative chirp and slipped out of Tim’s scarf and curled up on Kon’s shoulder. He nuzzled Kon’s jaw with a cold little snout as his little pom-pomed tail trailed back over to Tim. 

Kon gave them both what he hoped was a reassuring smile. 

“You ok?” Tim asked, eyeing Kon cautiously.

“Yeah, the walk and the cold just wore me out, is all. Maybe I didn’t have enough coffee this morning.”

“Lunch will help,” Tim insisted, reaching for the bag to pull out containers of soup, bread, and cocoa. 

Tim passed Kon food and set out a small piece of sweet potato for Duck. The little dragon started in on his dinner with a happy trill that made Kon laugh. Tim passed a cup of soup and a hunk of bread to him. Kon could feel the warmth of it even through his gloves and it smelled delicious. 

As they ate, Tim talked about the summer swimming adventures he and his siblings had gotten up to when they were children. He told Kon about the time they had pull leeches off of Jason’s leg and the time Cass screamed because little fishes tried to nibble her toes. Tim told Kon about catching crawfish and having water fights, staying out late, and sneaking back in through the kitchens at night. 

The warm food that Harper had packed for them and Tim’s silly childhood stories made Kon feel even more sleepy. Though it was less the overwhelmingly exhausted kind of sleepy and more of the warm, full, and content kind of sleepy. When Tim packed away the containers from their lunch and pulled out his sketchbook, Kon laid down next to him, using their pack as a pillow. Tim pulled one of the blankets up over both of them and Duck cuddled under the blanket next to him. 

Duck let out a sleepy trill and, as Tim began to sketch, Kon shut his eyes, just to rest them for a few minutes. 

^*^*^*^*^

The quiet of the winter woods made it easy to hear the soft, even breaths Kon took as he slept. Tim hadn’t been surprised when Kon fell asleep. He had looked more and more tired the longer they walked that afternoon. By the time they reached the falls, Tim was a little worried he would topple over before Tim had a chance to set out the blankets. 

Tim had hoped the food would perk him up. Instead, moments after he finished the soup, Kon was asleep next to Tim. Tim couldn’t blame him. Harper’s food was excellent, as always, it was warm under the thick blankets despite the chill in the air and the forest was peaceful.

Sketching out the basic form of the falls, Tim wondered if Kon would be able to return to work soon. He knew their last mission had exhausted him past the point that was safe. Kon had always recovered fairly quickly after past missions. Tim knew he pushed himself more than usual, but he would have to ask Kon for details later so he could gauge when Kon was hitting his limit. 

Tim wished he had a better idea of how Kon’s powers worked. He had it explained to Tim in simple terms a few times, but Tim suspected there was more to them than Kon was letting on. He understood why Kon might be reluctant to give too many details, especially considering how some people reacted to magic users. Then there was Tim's initial reaction to his magic, which hadn’t been positive initially. 

Tim would be lying if he said he didn’t have a lingering discomfort around Kon’s powers. There was a part of him that balked at the idea that Kon knew what he was feeling. It made him uncomfortable and embarrassed in a way he couldn’t seem to escape. It was a feeling he desperately wanted to get over but it wasn’t easy. 

That being said there was a sense of comfort to it as well. Kon would always know when he was worried or sad. And when Kon used too much of his energy Tim could use his emotions to help him. Almost to heal him with the strength of his…

The strength of his feelings for Kon. 

Pulling his eyes away from his sketch, Tim turned to look down at Kon. He was lying curled on his side, the blankets pulled up around his shoulders. He had one arm crooked by the side of his head with Duck tucked between his arm and his chest. 

Something warm bubbled in Tim’s chest as he watched Kon and Duck sleep. Swallowing hard, Tim inched closer so his leg was pressed against Kon. 

Turning to a fresh page, Tim blinked his stinging eyes and started a new sketch. He let the hand that had been steadying his sketchbook trail down to bury in Kon’s hair. He ran his fingers through the long strands as the picture on the page took shape.

^*^*^*^*^

It was the sound of Duck’s trills that pulled Kon into wakefulness. Blinking his eyes open, Kon realized that Duck was perched on his hip, scolding Tim. Tim was trying to hush Duck as he struggled to open the jar filled with sweet potatoes. 

“He’s so noisy for a dragon that small,” Kon said, smiling.

Tim started, turning to look down at Kon. His expression melted into a smile and nodded. 

“You should hear him when he’s really hungry,” Tim said. “One more I slept in and I thought my windows would break.”

Kon laughed and reached up a hand to rub soothingly along Duck’s head. The tone of his chirps turned a bit happier and that gave Tim the time to open the jar and hold out a small piece of potato to him. Duck hopped off Kon’s hip, took the sweet potato, and hopped down to the blanket to eat it. 

“I hope he doesn’t get sweet potato on the sweater Cass knitted him,” Tim said worriedly as he watched.

“Oh, the sweater is doomed, for sure,” Kon said, propping himself up and watching Duck make a mess of the potato. “Unless he’s swimming, he’s never clean.”

“Maybe Cass can knit him a spare…” Tim said with a grimace. 

“I’m not totally sure how she managed to knit the first one,” Kon said. “It needed so many holes… For the legs and the tail and the wings…”

“Cass is a woman of many talents,” Tim agreed. “How are you feeling, by the way?” 

Kon sat up straighter and thought about Tim’s question for a moment. He felt much better than he had before. He was refreshed, alert, and energized for the first time since their mission. The walk, the nap, the time in Tim’s company had done him good. 

“Much better,” Kon said, smiling at Tim.  
Tim’s expression melted into relief and Tim smiled back at him. 

“I’m glad. I was a little worried. You fell asleep so fast.”

“I’m good,” Kon assured him. “Better than I’ve felt in days.” 

Tim’s smile turned shy and he looked away from Kon, reaching to grab his sketchbook and pencils. Tucking the pencils back into his bag, Tim was about to close his sketchbook when he Kon caught sight of the picture and felt something warm flow through him. He reached out to take the sketchbook from Tim’s hand so he could get a better look.

Instead of spending the last few hours drawing the falls, Tim had sketched a picture of Kon and Duck sleeping on the blanket beside him. Tim’s hand trailed down into the picture, it was running through the hair on the side of Kon’s head as he slept. 

“You didn’t draw the falls,” Kon asked with a smile as he looked up from the sketchbook. 

A blush crept up Tim’s face and he smiled sheepishly at Kon.

“I did one or two of the falls but…”

“But?”

“But… I like drawing you and Duck a little more.”

Kon reached out a hand and cupped Tim’s face. He could feel the affection and relief coming off of Tim in waves. The warmth and depth of his feelings flowed into Kon, making his skin tingle and an almost liquid heat flow through him. Leaning in, Kon pressed his lips to Tim’s, kissing him gently. Tim’s mouth was warm and soft and perfect. Kon got lost in the sensation of his skin, the soft huffs of his breath, the soothing warmth of the emotions. 

When Kon broke the kiss, he nuzzled into Tim’s neck as he pulled him into a hug. 

“Yeah,” Kon whispered against Tim’s neck. “I feel much better now.”

Tim pressed a kiss to Kon’s cheek and let out a soft contented sigh. 

“Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Duck needed a sweater, guyz. You all know, in your heart of hearts, that he NEEDED that sweater. That scene with the sweater was ESSENTIAL and not at all self-indulgent. 
> 
> Anyway, I like to think of this as Tim and Kon's second date. Their first date was On the Banks of the Spring. 
> 
> What could their third date be~~


End file.
